Arranged
by PunkRock'dPrincess
Summary: The war is over, and the trio can finally return home. But, more problems arise when Ilana discovers she is to be wed before her 18th birthday: to someone she's never met. Who is this mystery man, and can Lance 'save' Ilana beofre it's too late? Ilanca
1. Goodbye Earth

Okay, so this is my first Sym-Bionic Titan fanfic; I just recently started watching the show and I love it! I had an idea, and so far as I know it hasn't been done yet. I hope for this to be at least a 15 chapter fic, and I promise the next chapter will be longer; I just had to have a kind of intro to start things off.

A few things to keep in mind:

1. This story is set 2 years into the future, post-war. So The characters HAVE aged, and may seem a little ooc because they have grown up. And unlike the show, they would have spent quite a while together. It may just be my opinion on how I think they would interact as older kids, but I'll try my best to stay in character!

2. It's my first SBT story, and I only have just begun watching. If somethings wrong, please let me know (nicely) and I shall fix it. (:

3. I love, love, love reviews. It gives me motivation to post more chapters. (:

4. I do NOT own Sym-Bionic Titan in anyway, the show and its characters belong to Cartoon Network. Only the idea and the story itself belong to me. (:

So without any further ado, Here it is:

**"Arranged"- Chapter 1:**

_Goodbye Earth_

2 years.

2 long, hard years. That's approximately how long the war on Galaluna had lasted. Many lives were lost, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers had fought the great fight in honor to protect their planet. Their home towns burned and many of the people lost. In the end, Galalunian forces had posed too great a threat for the Mutradi invaders, and were forced to retreat. The Galalunians had held their own, destroying most of the Mutradi troops allowing only a _few_ to slip through their fingers. It was still a very dark place, but at least the war had finally been put to an end.

After the war had been announced "over", the great King had decided it would be best if the Princess and her protectors remained on Earth for a few extra months until Princess Ilana's safety was 100 percent ensured. With a few Mutradi still loose somewhere, the King would not have her safety be risked. So the trio followed their order's town to a 'T' (much to Ilana's dismay) and waited until they would be allowed back to their home.

But after all their waiting, they knew it would be worth it so long as they were going home. Things had turned out better than anyone could have expected, (though no one would admit it). In truth, the war should have taken a greater toll on their people and their cities. Luckily much was still intact, of course quite a lot was not, but still. Perhaps their mission was not quite over yet.

...

Lance pushed a lose hair from his face as he prepared for their trip. Today was the day; they we're finally heading home. He peeled of his 'earth clothes' in order to redress into his Corporal uniform. In the message the King had sent telling the three about the end of the war, he also addressed Lance and promised him a new commanding rank. A ceremony was to be arranged for his promotion. He was thrilled, really he was. His entire life was fighting and from what the King had stated it sounded as though this was a pretty big deal. But somehow, despite the promoting and of course the return, Lance knew something was wrong.

Not that he would ever admit it to Octus or Ilana, but he was going to miss them. Once they had received word of their return, things began changing. And Lance wasn't so sure he was really ready for it. I mean, when it came down to it, Ilana and Octus were the closest thing to family he had had in a long time. He shook his head, '_this is a good thing'_ he reminded himself. '_I'm just a soldier.'_

First he slid into his pants, then came the shiny black boots. They were hard due to their lack of use. Come to think of it, the last time he wore this, they had just come to Earth. He pulled on his gloves, and finally his bright red jacket. His focused on the bright brass buttons intently, trying to remind himself that this was never about himself, but Ilana- or the Princess. That's what he would have to call her when they got back, right? Would they even talk after all of this? He looked at his feet deep in thought, until his attention was brought to the light knocking on his door.

"Come in." He said absent mindedly. The princess came into the room still in her pajamas, her face worried. He stopped buttoning his shirt, and turned to her. "Ilana, Why aren't you dressed yet? Octus says we're leaving shortly." He reminded her.

She sighed and remained quiet for a moment, convinced no matter how she asked, Lance wouldn't care. She breathed, "I can't decide which one to wear." She added a little '_hmph'_ sound. Lance rolled his eyes, but smiled at her.

"Ilana, you'll look fine in anything, it doesn't really matter. Now, come on, we have to go soon." Ilana looked at him as though he was stupid.

"It does too matter!" She yelled back. "As princess of Galaluna, I should be dressed as accordingly." She gave him a menacing look. "Now, come help me pick one." Maybe it was because he had gotten accustomed to the young girl, or perhaps deep down, Lance knew that moments like these were running low. The minute they returned, they were no longer '_friends'_ , but simply a soldier and a princess. But either way, he agreed to help her in her moment of "crisis" as she called it.

"Okay, but make it fast. I still have to get my things together." He reminded her. She smiled a thank you and the two entered her bedroom. It was in a disheveled mess; clothes were scatter everywhere, and different bags and other objects were lying all around the room. All of her pictures and decorations had been taken down off of the walls, and if it weren't for the colorful mass of clothes, the room would have looked quite bare. This was really happening, their time was finally over. He looked at Ilana, who was babbling on about shoes or something. She looked like she couldn't have been happier.

Lance snapped out of his thoughts as he realized she had asked him a question. "Huh?"

Ilana scoffed, "Were you even listening to a think I said?"

"Of course". He lied.

Her angry look seemed to lighten up, "Okay then, which one do you like best?" She held up two different dressed, one deep pink and the other a bright fuchsia color. To him, both looked very similar, but that wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"The one on the left." He pointed.

"But that one makes me look fat!"

"Okay… then the other one?"

"Ugh, but my shoes don't match that one."

"Ummm." He paused, he was never any good at helping her pick out clothes. Even after these two years, no matter what he told her he was still wrong. He sighed. "What about that one. The one on the floor over there?"

"What? The lavender one?"

"Sure, yeah."

"That's the one I wore when we first landed here, though."

"So? It looks nice." Another fact Lance would never admit, was that after being Ilana's bodyguard for so long, the two had grown close. Very close. But like stated earlier, everything had changed the day they received news about their return. It wasn't like the two ever dated, here they were posing as siblings, so that would never work. And it was not to say Lance or Ilana had gone all 'lovey-dovey' over the other; but at the same time there was something there. And he knew Ilana knew it too. After all of this, he knew he wouldn't just protect her for the King, but because she _was_ an important part of his life.

_Was. _

"Are you sure?" Ilana seemed uncertain. Lance just nodded. She smiled brightly. "Alright, I'll be out in just a sec." She pushed him outside of her room and closed her door promptly.

Of course it was more than a few seconds. Ilana always claimed "it took time to look her best." She carefully pulled the dress over her head. It fell neatly into place, and she smiled into her mirror. Lance was right, she did look nice. She then brushed her hair and applied little makeup.

"Perfect!" She exclaimed as she turned in a full circle to see how she looked from all vantage points. She couldn't wait to make her father proud, oh how she missed him. She glanced over to her alarm clock to check the time. The numbers read: 11:28. She smiled as she hurried to gather the rest of her things. Before long she had everything neatly squared away.

Nothing could bring her down today; today was the day she had been waiting two years for. She had put up with a troublesome teenaged earthling's life, several Mutradi monsters, and public high school, all for this moment. This is what she had been waiting for.

She really did love the robot and the corporal; they both had been there for her through this entire ordeal. And looking back, they had been her closest friends during this time. Honestly in all of the hype of home, the fact that she probably wouldn't see them again hadn't really crossed her mind. All that mattered to her was her father, and of course returning to her duties as princess.

Once finished, she grabbed her bags and hurried downstairs, looking for Octus as she did so. She set her items down on the living room table to search for her friend. "Octus?" She called out. The robot responded from the other room.

"I am in the kitchen, Ilana. Everything is almost accounted for." Octus replied. The petite princess smiled and glanced up the stairs to make sure Lance was still out of sight. Good, his door was still closed.

Ilana hurried over to the kitchen to see Octus. He was just pulling out something from the oven. Ilana reached for the icing that lay on the other side of the kitchen counter.

"Ilana, you should really wait until the cake has properly cooled before applying the sugar coating." Octus warned her. But, she of course didn't listen as she opened the icing tub.

"But if we wait, we'll be late for our arrival at Galaluna!" She told him.

"We have precisely 24 minutes until we have to leave, Ilana." The robot reminded her.

She gave him a look before hurrying to apply the icing all over the cake. She then tried (miserably) to write the letters "L-A-N-C-E" on the cake, before applying a few candles. "It looks perfect Octus, thank you!" She hugged him. "Lance is gonna love it." She added in a whisper, hoping he wasn't nearby.

The two turned off the lights and hid (well, mostly Ilana, seeing as Octus was too big to really hide behind anything) inside the kitchen, waiting for Lance to come downstairs.

A few minutes later, after Lance had stuffed all of his things into a small bag, he decided he wouldn't need much from his visit; he walked down stairs to see if the other two had finished packing as well. When he didn't see anyone in the living room we walked into the kitchen only to find the lights all turned off. Okay?

"What are you two doing in here?" he called out, knowing they had to be inside the room.

"I believe that was when we were supposed to cheer 'surprise'." Octus spoke from behind the table. Lance rolled his eyes.

"Surprise!" Ilana jumped up from underneath the table as Octus flipped the lights back on. She was smiling brightly as she held out a cake.

Lance smiled at the gesture. "Happy Birthday!" The duo yelled at the boy. Ilana brought the cake closer to him so he could blow out the now lit candles.

"Thanks guys." He never really celebrated birthdays, well other than the two he had on Earth with Ilana and Octus in the years they were all together. Funny how fast things go by. He blew them out and cut a slice for each of them. Today was his 18th birthday, something that seemed so small compared to everything else that was going on. But today he was finally a man.

To be honest, in all of her excitement, Lance was surprised she'd even remember. But he was glad she did, because this would probably be the last birthday party for a while.

"Sorry we didn't get you any presents, Lance." Ilana said between chews. He just shrugged.

"This is all I need." He assured them. Ilana and Lance shared a brief smile. Like an unspoken secret between only the two.

"Alright you two, it's about time we begin for our journey back home." Octus spoke in his monotone voice. Lance nodded as Ilana got up from the table to dispose of her plate. The three got up and went back to the living room, each to gather their belongings. They all said their goodbye's to their home of two years. Ilana paused.

"Wait." Lance and Octus turned around. "I just want to say thank you both. For everything." She smiled then walked over to where Octus was standing. She reached up to hug him. "You're the best robot/dad/friend I've ever had." She told him as she continued to hold him tight unsure of what else to say.

"Thank you, Ilana." Octus spoke.

She let go and kissed him on his cheek lightly. She then turned to Lance. "And you," She paused, "are the greatest Corporal I've had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you for always protecting me. I owe you my life, Lance." She looked up at him before hugging him briefly. She stretched up on her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek, as well. She lingered close to his face for a few seconds, forgetting the rest of the world. He looked into her eyes, as if searching for something; something more. He eventually broke the stare, causing Ilana to blush and turn away.

That was his last chance; and he blew it. Two years together and he still was too intimidated to make a move. In some way he tried to reason that it was better this way."_She'll be 18 in a few months anyways._" He told himself as they walked outside ready to leave for good. "_And by then, she'll already have found someone else."_

"Goodbye Earth." Octus said the final words as the Titan shot up towards the rift gate.

...

It wasn't long before they reached their home plant: Galaluna.

Today was the day. The day everything would change for the three. Once they arrived, the Kind was standing there to welcome the three heroes. Ilana dropped everything when she saw her father, and rushed to give him a great hug. Overwhelmed by the young girl, he nearly toppled over. He laughed as the young princess hugged him, muttering into his chest.

"Oh how I have missed you father!" She exclaims as she continues to embrace him. He laughs wholeheartedly.

"And how I have missed you my Ilana." He smiled brightly as he finally let her out of his arms. The small blonde stood directly at his side, beaming. He nodded pleasantly to the robot and the teenage boy.

Octus began carrying Ilana's bags as Lance stood with one arm behind his back, and his helmet in the other. Chin held high, he stood next to Octus.

"I do not know how I could ever repay you two." The king thanked them, "Without the two of you, heaven knows if I would ever see my daughter again. So thank you. Octus, your reward is that you will now work in the castle, as one of head security officers."

"Thank you, sir." The robot replied. The king nodded.

"And you, Lance." Lance kneeled for the King, "There is already a ceremony planned for your promotion. You will be given the title, 'Captain'. You're one of Galaluna's youngest commanding Captains, Lance. Your father would be proud." Lance winced slightly at the comment (knowing the King meant well) before turning to stand next to Octus again.

"Thank you, your majesty."

"The two of you will also be receiving medals of Honor tomorrow at the celebration. Once again, I can't thank either of you enough." He smiled warmly.

"For now, you two are welcome to stay within the castle until tomorrow's ceremony." The two nodded before following the King, the princess, and a select few guards. "Come; let us take my princess home again." Ilana smiled brightly up at her father, after two years of waiting to even hear his voice, Ilana was completely enthralled just to be at his side again. This was her true place.

Lance and Octus trailed behind them, both silent among the King. Lance was mostly solemn, after tomorrow tings would be "normal" again. Was it selfish of him to wish otherwise? The realization of losing Ilana- and Octus, too- was something that he had pushed to the back of his mind. But already, even just watching behind her, Ilana would never see him the same again.

He was so close to her, and yet so far. Her happiness was like a stab in his back. _'But this is my place.' _he thought bitterly.

...

* * *

Woo! Alrighty, let me know what you think?

Note: Ilana's betrothed shall be introduced next chapter; sorry but this chapter is just the intro.

so review, review, review! And I will update soon. (:


	2. Celebrations

Alrighty! First of all, please let me say:** Thank you to all you lovely people who reviewed/faved/added to story alert-ed this fan fic! **This chapter is dedicated to you guys, seriously you were my motivation to work hard to finifsh this thing. :)

Second: I do apologize for making you wait over a week, I had this thing written a couple days ago but I felt like I wanted to tweak it a little still. And~ In appreciation to your kind reviews and your patience in waiting for an update please enjoy an (extremely) long chapter! yay.

Third: Disclaimer: Not I do NOT own Sym-Bionic Titan. Never have never will. I only own my writing and the idea for this crazy fiction. (:

And now, I GIVE YOU: CHAPTER 2!

* * *

"**Arranged"- Chapter 2:**

_Celebrations_

It only took about an hour for the group to reach the castle- or at least what was left of it. In the excitement of the moment, it hadn't really dawned on Ilana how ruined their home truly was. Every corner was covered in destruction; and worse- death.

Something that both Ilana and Lance could not have completely comprehended from their isolation on Earth. Being so far from the fighting and the chaos had somewhat numbed them; while they had faced their fair share of Mutradi beasts, that was nothing in comparison. Galaluna was _demolished._

This once glorious castle now stood fallen- an empty husk of what it once was. While more than half of Galaluna's army was devoted on reconstruction of both the castle as well as the city below, there was still a lot to be done. Time was all it would need. Time to rebuild; time to heal. But for now, Ilana was just glad to be _home._

"So this is your room?" Lance asked, raising one eyebrow as he opened the double doors leading into the princess's quarters. Bits and pieces of the castle had been untouched- including Ilana's bedroom. The entire room was covered in a light lavender color- the bed, the walls, the various pieces of furniture.

"Yeah," Ilana sighed dreamily, "God I've missed this." She said as she stepped down a few steps to reach the main level of her room; it was actually pretty large. There was a small living area, including a fireplace, an area for her bed, a small library, and of course a section completely for trying on all of her clothes complete with a very large, regal looking vanity. It was so fitting.

Lance glanced around the room quickly, returning to look at Ilana's reaction. Her eyes were closed, and a small smile was visible on her face. He smiled down at her for a split second, and then snapped his attention back to the room before him.

The small princess did a quick spin before running and jumping onto her bed. She let out a set of giggles as she did so. She stretched out all her limbs as she nested comfily into the comforter on her large bed. For just a few minutes, she could pretend like things were just as they were; as though she never left.

She shot up almost as quickly as she had jumped there, sitting upright on her royal bed. A bed fit for a princess. She smiled at Lance then motioned for him to come and sit next to her. Lance hesitated- there were rules they had to follow now, this wasn't Earth. He smiled halfheartedly at her and gave a small wave of his hand, politely declining her offer.

"Come on, Lance! Loosen up a little. We're home remember?" Ilana smiled brightly, unable to contain her sheer delight any longer. Lance looked at his feet awkwardly.

"Ilana-" he started. She frowned. "-I mean princess." That was going to be a hard habit to break. "I think it would be better if I just retired to the Guest Quarters."

"Why are you doing this?" Ilana asked.

Lance shrugged, "Doing what?"

"You're avoiding me. I thought we had moved past that." She frowned, maybe she was misreading his signals- on Earth she could have sworn they were more than friends.

"I am not."

"Okay, well did I do something wrong?- Wait is this about me not getting you a birthday present? Because I told Octus-"

"What? No. Ilana, I just- it's been a long day. Okay?" Ilana nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll see you at dinner then."

"Okay.." Her smile had fallen and her eyebrows furrowed, causing her freckled nose to wrinkle. "But what about later?"

"What about it?"

Ilana looked at him, her eyes begging.

"Ilana. I can't." He rolled his eyes; she wasn't supposed to need him _now. _The blonde haired girl frowned deeper in response.

"Lance." She slid off of the bed and walked slowly over to him. He stood paralyzed; unsure of how to react- his mind told him this was wrong, yet something else told him this was _right._ Caught up in his own thoughts, he hadn't noticed how close she had actually gotten to him. She lightly brushed his arm; her gentle touch sending chills up his spine. She smiled as she watched his reaction. He frowned and quickly grabbed her hand.

"No." He demanded with closed eyes. With that, the young soldier left the princess's bedroom; leaving Ilana to her thoughts. An innocent moment had turned intimate, something she promised never to happen again.

She decided that it was probably best if she just let Lance be; she had learned that whenever he got like this he closed up and refused to let her in. Besides- he was going to leave soon anyways. She was a princess and he was a Corporal, well Captain as of tomorrow, but either way she knew they each had their own duties to uphold. And there was no questioning that.

…

After only a few hours of sleep, Ilana felt refreshed and renewed. When she had first awoken, she was worried this was just another all too real dream, something she hoped she'd never have to feel again. She shook her head, ridding her mind of any more fears, after all: the next few days were going to be complete celebration. A celebration for Lance, she also shook her head at that. No more thoughts of her ex-body guard. She plastered a smile on her face as she walked into her large closet to get ready for the celebration dinner.

Meanwhile, down the hall the Corporal had been pacing his room for what seemed like an eternity, spitting out bit and pieces of sentences to his Robot friend nearby. He had come back from Ilana's room earlier in a very foul mood. The King had been kind enough to place the two 'heroes' in the guest wing, in one of the many guest rooms. Octus had watched Lance walk around the room endlessly for possibly over an hour.

"Lance, are you sure that nothing is bothering you?" Octus asked warily, he had taken notice to the boy's hormone readings. All day they had been unusually high, as was his grumpy behavior. Perhaps the two had something in common. Lance merely grumbled in response. The large robot tried again. "Lance?"

This time his focus broke, turning his attention to Octus. "It's nothing." He finally spoke.

"It's Ilana." Octus said, half asking a question half making a statement. Lance searched his friend's 'face' to see any kind of emotion; but seeing as he was in his actual form, he wasn't given the opportunity.

"It's confusing."

"Talk to her."

"There _is_ no talking to her."

Octus breathed a low sigh, accustomed to helping the two teens on Earth work through their problems. "Lance, I am ninety percent sure she would be more than willing to talk with you."

"Octus, it's different now. _We're _different now." He said matter-of-factly. He had stopped pacing. "Come on, we should be heading to dinner soon, anyways." Octus knew the boy was trying to evade his questions; perhaps he could get it out of him later.

"Dressed like that?" Lane held the doorknob in his hand before turning to look dumbly at Octus.

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Oh nothing."

"Octus!" Lance barked, quite confused. It was just a dinner, right?

The robot stood up from his small chair and walked into the closet emerging with a classical Galalunaian suit. "It would appear as though the King has supplied you with some new clothes." Lance rolled his eyes.

"But my uniform-" Lance started before Octus spoke again.

"Your uniform can wait until tomorrow, Lance. Tonight we are royal guests." If he hadn't been in his true form Lance was sure a smile would have been evident on his small face. Lance begrudgingly accepted the 'monkey suit' as earthlings would have called it, and walked into the large closet.

It wasn't long until he emerged, dressed in a dark, formal suit. The front was lined with bright brass buttons, contrasting the dark color of the suit. He had on socks that reached just under his knee, and he kept his dark boots on over top; then stood waiting for Octus's final opinion.

"It's a little big on you, but it does look rather nice." Lance's features remained emotionless. "Oh, and for the finishing touch-"Octus pulled a small white garment from out of the nearby dresser. "Here, a neckerchief in the custom fashion for the young upper class gentlemen." Lance rolled his eyes as Octus proceeded to tighten his neckwear.

"I look stupid." Lance announced, partially embarrassed. He hadn't dressed up since he was a child; and it was clear that he was truly uncomfortable.

"You look gentleman-ly." Octus replied happily. "Just wait until Ilana gets a look at you."

Lance blushed ever so slightly and mumbled under his breath as the duo decided to walk to Ilana's room to escort her to the dinner. And, after a few minutes of wandering through various hallways, they found Ilana's room. Octus knocked loudly.

In a matter of seconds, the door flew open and Ilana came forth, dressed in her golden attire. She smiled brightly at Octus, who complimented her graciously. "You look fantastic." He spoke robotically.

Lance stood there and with his head turned away, an uncomfortable smile drawn on his face. "Yeah, nice." He added. She crossed her arms; she did _not _want to deal with him right now.

"You look dashing as well, Corporal." She added with as little emotion as possible. Octus nudged him in the ribs, and Lance extended his arm for the princess to entwine her arm in his. Octus clumsily grabbed Ilana's other arm and the three headed off to the dining hall. Half of the large room had been demolished in the war, but after recent reconstructions most of the room was useable.

The largest feature was the long, wooden table that stretched across the room. Lance would have guessed that it could hold nearly 70 people. It looked as though the room was filled with at least 50, though. He looked over at Ilana to see her reaction. She seemed pleasantly un-phased as they continued to the head of the table where her father sat. She let go of both of their hands and took the seat closest to her fathers.

She stood, waiting for Lance to pull out her chair for her. She cleared her throat loudly and shot him a frustrated glare when he didn't. Octus elbowed him again, and he suddenly snapped up to withdraw her chair. She kept a small smile as she did so, never forgetting to remain poised in front of all of her guests.

"If you need me, princess, I will be in the next room over." Octus said quietly before leaving the room. (Why would a robot stay for dinner?) He nudged Lance slightly as he did so: reminding him to 'be on his best behavior'. He rolled his eyes before sitting up straight in his own chair, next to Ilana.

Just then the loud chatting that filled the room stopped and the doors burst open as the King's large figure walked in. A majority of the crowd scurried to sit down at the table. The King was smiling brightly as he threw his hands up and greeted everyone loudly, his voice echoing in the great room. Ilana beamed.

"Welcome everyone!" He boomed, and continued to praise all of his guests. Lance learned that most of them were war heroes and such. "It is an honor to have you here within my..." Lance's attention slipped as the speech continued. Instead, he took interest in the various guests seated near him. Some were old; others looked not much older than himself.

He nudged Ilana, who seemed absorbed in her father's words. She shot him a dirty look before continuing to listen to the King. He nudged her again. "Ilana," He started.

"What." She replied angrily, didn't he know it was rude to talk while the King was speaking.

"Who's that seat for?" He asked curiously. The seat directly across from Ilana remained empty.

"Shhh!" She silenced him, not even listening to his question.

"And with that, let us dine!" The king finished loudly. The room was filled with applause as the King slowly took his place at the head of the table. He winked at his daughter, who returned it with a bubbly smile. The first course was brought out shortly, which had startled Lance greatly. (He had never been served dinner at a royal banquet before). The next few courses came and went swiftly, and before long the fine feast was announced over.

And, after much direction by Ilana, Lance made it through the dinner with nearly painless. Hell, it wasn't half bad. He was far from perfect, as Ilana had told him; but at least he wasn't _too _embarrassing.

…

After the dinner, the guests had gathered in both the great hall and one of the large living areas. There were men in uniforms holding out trays of various desserts, and others with assorted drinks.

Lance began to tire of all the commotion, parties weren't really his thing. He smiled at this as he left Ilana's side for a moment, it's not like she would notice. On this planet everyone wanted to talk to her, or even just be in her presence; the exact opposite of Earth. She was practically glowing she was so ecstatic in the midst of all of her party guests. No, she wouldn't notice.

Lance made his way stealthily over to one of few drink trays, quickly grabbing brilliant red one in a small glass cup. He did turn 18 today, so on Galaluna he was technically legal. He smiled slyly and walked casually back to the Princess.

Yep- she hadn't noticed for a second. He stood tall as he took a sip of his drink. He flinched slightly, the drink was quite strong. Not that he cared really; tonight he was a 'gentleman' as Octus had called him. And as such, he was allowed to have a little fun, right? He smiled as he took another swig, allowing the acidic drink to burn his throat. It wasn't pleasant, but he drank it all anyways.

Ilana looked up at him suddenly very suspicious, but with a shrug of his shoulders and a 'puppy eyes' look, the young blonde rolled her eyes at the commanding officer and continued smiling and nodding as a fellow soldier continued their story. She smiled sweetly as she watched Lance out of the corner of her eye.

"What?" He asked, hiding the empty glass behind his back.

Ilana pardoned herself from her conversation to give Lance the eye, "What's that behind your back, Corporal?"

"Nothing…" He shrugged. "I'll be right back." He smiled at her, comfortingly. She arched a brow as she watched his figure disappear through the crowd.

One minute he cared too much, the next he acted like he didn't care at all. Lance had his ups and downs, but today- _today_ was worse than normal. "He's worse than a teenage Earth girl." She sighed; perhaps she would never understand his feelings or true intentions.

…

Lance had successfully made his way back to the man carrying the assorted drinks. And, like before, he grabbed another red one. The first had left his mouth feeling dry, so he was glad to down another. "These aren't so bad." He mused somewhat happily. He wasn't sure if he actually liked the drink, or just the idea that he could escape Ilana for a little while.

Okay, that was a lie. He didn't _not_ want see Ilana, he just assumed it would be easier for the both of them if he just moved on.

He grabbed yet another, and disregarded the butler's wary look as he started to take another sip. He only had one night to be someone he's not, and it _was_ his birthday after all. His head turned as he could hear his name being called. "Lance." He put the drink back on the tray (much to the butler's disgust.)

He watched as a royal guard approached him. "The king wishes to speak to you, Corporal." Lance nodded and followed the guard out of the room and into the Main hall. He led him down the long dark hallway and into a small room. The guard opened the door allowing Lance to step in. The King was inside sitting on a beige couch, staring at a fireplace. He only looked up when he heard Lance's footsteps as he entered the room.

"Your majesty," Lance greeted him with a bow, and quickly rose to look him in the eye. "You wished to see me?" The old man nodded, a sad smile was on his face. Right away Lance knew something was wrong. "Is Ilana alright? Is there something wrong?" He thought for a second. "Was there something _I _did?" He asked, almost worriedly. He respected Ilana's father; and that was probably one of the only adults he _did _respect.

A few moments passed and the King asked Lance to take a seat next to him. Lance began to worry that something truly _was_ wrong. "Your majesty?"

He waved his hand, dismissing his question; then, looked solemnly at the boy sitting directly across from him. "Lance. You know I can't thank you enough for all you have done for both me and Ilana." He paused, unsure of how to word what he wanted to say. Lance nodded. "But, I have another favor to ask. Not as your King, but as a friend. A friend to you and," he hesitated swallowing hard. "Your father." He watched as Lance's gaze dropped to the floor.

"Yes?" Lance asked.

"I- I. I don't know who to turn to." He shook his head. "Ilana, as I'm sure you know, will be turning 18 soon. And as Galalunaian custom," He swallowed again. "She is to be married if she wishes to take the thrown. And, I'm also sure you know how- _hardheaded_ she can be about things…" Lance nodded, knowing Ilana all too well.

"And why am I involved?" Lance questioned. Oh god, he wasn't asking _him_ to marry her was he? "Oh God." He muttered under his breath, too quiet for the King to hear.

The king laughed. "Impatient, just like Edward always was." Lance tried to smile; this was a compliment he was used to hearing from the King. "I'm sorry. The point I was getting at was that I don't trust anyone with Ilana, not after this war. That much is clear. I wanted to ask if you would take the honor of becoming Ilana's personal elite royal guard." He smiled somewhat, searching Lance's face for any kind of reaction. "You will of course keep your new title as Captain, and all the privileges that come with it. I just wanted to know if you would be willing to watch over my daughter a little while longer."

Lance sat in silence for a moment, letting the information sink in. "I would be honored."

"There's more…" The king added, looking away again; focusing on the flames from the fire in front of them. "General Modula…" He struggled, "He's not dead. Not yet. He was wounded, bad, Lance. But he- he _survived._ No one knows his whereabouts, and I currently have most of what's left of our army on duty within and around the castle. I don't want to worry Ilana, but he could still pose a threat." Lance gave him a look of sheer trust.

"Of course, your majesty. I will protect her with my life." Lance replied, as a good soldier should.

"And like I said, it's only until we've found and destroyed the General." He told the boy. "Or until she is properly married."

"Is this already arranged?" Lance asked, already knowing the answer. He knew, and he knew the King knew he knew.

The king nodded solemnly. "Yes. She's arranged to marry a boy not much older than you; which is good- I suppose." He shrugged. Lance knew that the King loved Ilana, more than he could ever love his kingdom. And all in all, he knew it was her happiness he ultimately wanted. He frowned. "And it's for the good of our kingdom. I know Ilana will take the news with a smile." The old man looked like he was about to cry.

But Lance knew he was too strong for that. "She's always been proud to serve her planet, sir."

He smiled another sad smile. "I know."

A few moments of silence passed, only the sound of the crackling fire before them. "When are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her about what, the marriage? Or Modula?" The King asked.

"I guess both."

"I plan on telling her about her betrothed as soon as he comes into town." Lance made a face, even the word sounded bad. _Betrothed._ Ugh. A few more minutes in silence passed, and Lance decided it would probably be best to leave the King to his thoughts. Lance squirmed in his suit.

"You know, between you and me: I would have much rather betrothed my daughter to you." He smiled. "You care greatly for her."

Lance shrugged, hiding the blush that was quickly spreading across his face, "It's my duty."

The King laughed. "Just like your father." Lance finally stood.

"I think I'd better go and find Ilana. It's getting late." The king nodded.

"So it is. So it is."

Once he left the room, he nodded to the guard and continued down the hallway to return to the party.

"Damn. I need a drink."

…

The next day came all too quick for Ilana. She sighed as she stretched her whole body in her nice, warm bed. She rubbed her eyes gently, ridding them of sleep.

"Hmm." She stretched again as she pushed her covers off and swung her legs over the bed. Her eyes flashed over to the figure on the other side of the room.

"Lance?" She called out instinctively. The figure's head shot up. "Mm. What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the guest room? And what about Octus?" She began firing questions left and right.

He smiled, "Ilana, I escorted you back here last night. You were a little wiped out from all the activities." He shrugged, "And I'm still your royal guard." She looked confused. "I can stand outside if you'd like. Octus is out there, right now." He informed her.

Her mouth formed a small 'O', "Oh." She stood up and began to make her way to her bathroom. She was used to Lance always being close by. "Are you two ready for the award ceremony?" She called from the bathroom. She couldn't hear his response as she turned on the bath. The sound of a heavy water flow drowned out his voice. She didn't really care for a response, though. It was his last day as her body guard after all. She placed a finger into the bathtub to test the waters.

Once filled to the top, she undressed and bathed quickly. Today was an important day, and she had no time to lose. After she had finished cleaning herself, she grabbed a white robe and wrapped her hair up in a fresh towel. Clad in her matching slippers she stepped out of the bathroom making her way to her closet.

She glanced over to the couch where Lance had been sitting earlier, watching her sleep. He had left, as she figured he would have. Once seeing that he was no longer in the room, she dropped her robe and began re-dressing herself.

Just outside the door Lance and Octus waited patiently. They had hardly spoken; Lance was too distraught for words and Octus could easily read that. Instead of pestering him, Octus had let him be. He had just turned 18 after all, and that qualified him as a man on Galaluna.

Lance had allowed her 20 minutes before knocking on the door, "Princess?" He called. She clicked the lock and pushed the door open.

"Come on, you two! You wouldn't want to miss your own promotional ceremony." She beamed. Lance hoped she could remain happy even after the breaking news. He hadn't been told exactly when her 'betrothed' was to arrive, but he knew it was soon. Octus looked over at Lance, knowing that he was hiding something from both himself and Ilana. Yet Lance's eyes warned him that here and now was not the right place.

"What about breakfast?" Octus beeped.

"We can eat later, Octus. A princess is never late!" She told him warningly, "And neither should a Captain." She added smiling; she was becoming more herself again.

…

It wasn't long until the festivities began. Ilana's father had already taken his seat atop the huge platform on which they were to receive their awards. Ilana had taken a seat beside him, and behind her were 3 elite guards. She looked back at them, their faces empty. They would never be anything like Lance, but that was to be expected. She sighed before turning around.

Suddenly, like a loud thunder, the crowd began cheering loudly; roaring with excitement! Ilana smiled as the band nearby began playing their national anthem. The King's daughter tapped her foot lightly to the beat, smiling all the while.

A few speeches were made, mostly by commanders, generals, and captains of the army. And after each speaker, the people all erupted with pleasure screaming and clapping happily. Confetti filled the air and the ground as it was released after every speaker.

After a few hours, they finally reached the last few honored members. The King rose to make the final speech, congratulating the 'main' heroes. First came a group of elite soldiers, who were awarded medals for their work and sacrifice on the battlefield within their Manus fighters. Ilana smiled, knowing that Lance could best any of them, but she clapped for them nonetheless.

Next came a group of older soldiers, Ilana didn't really pay attention to their significance. She was more focused on her two friends that were standing behind, ready to go up next. After the applause had died down, she heard her father's voice announce both Lance and Octus to her people, telling them their great stories and praising them endlessly for their commitment.

And, as promised the King spoke of Octus's promotion into one of the head security officers, and handed him a medal of honor. Next was Lance, who stood so tall with his helmet at his side. He thanked the King graciously and smiled as he pinned the medal to his military sash.

A roar of claps and cheers filled Ilana's ears and she stood up from her seat to applaud her friends. She smiled when they both looked back at her, knowing their mission was finally over. She was so happy, she nearly started to cry. But, before she allowed any tears to spring forth from her eyes, she breathed deeply and blinked her eyes. '_A princess never cries publically._' She reminded herself. '_It shows that you are weak.'_ She smiled brighter, god she was starting to sound like Lance.

Only a few more people were recognized after Octus and Lance, all more generals. Ilana listened halfheartedly. That is, until she heard her own name in her father's speech.

Her head shot up instinctively.

"And last but, surely far from least: Baron Von Buran: a faithful war hero, who has come to be wed to my daughter, Ilana-" The rest of the speech didn't matter. His words hung in the air.

She refused to let his words make sense in her head. This wasn't happening. No- this was some kind of sick joke, right? She began breathing heavily before standing to leave. But before she could even successfully stand on her own, Ilana's legs collapsed from underneath her and she fainted right there on the spot. The three royal guards jumped to catch her, and come to her aid. Her father had stopped what he was saying to run and turn to her side.

Okay, so maybe this wasn't the best way of breaking the news to her.

* * *

**Okay sooooo whatcha think of this chapter? hmmm. **

**A couple of you guys guessed this was going to be a Baron/Ilana/Lance story. AND HELL YEAH YOU GUYS WERE RIGHT. WOO. 3(and yes, we will all get to see Lance's reaction NEXT chapter. muahahah.) **

**Reviews would be nice, perhaps at least 8? Do you guys think you can do it? haha. Hmm, as soon as you reach my goal I shall post another chapter!**

So hurry! And review away! :V


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